Advanced Analysis for Three-Dimensional Semi-Rigid Steel Frames subjected to Static and Dynamic Loadings

Doctoral Thesis / Dissertation from the year 2014 in the subject Engineering - Civil Engineering, grade: 9, , course: Advanced Steel Structures, language: English, abstract: This dissertation presents three various advanced analysis approaches which can capture accurately and efficiently the ultimate strength and behavior of steel framed structures with nonlinear beam-to-column connections subjected to static and dynamic loadings. Three major sources of nonlinearity are considered in the analyses as follows: (1) material nonlinearity; (2) geometric nonlinearity; and (3) connection nonlinearity. Three types of nonlinear beam-column element formulation considering both geometric and material nonlinearities are coded into two nonlinear structural analysis programs: (1) Nonlinear Structural Analysis Program (NSAP) - 2-D plastic-zone finite element; (2) Practical Advanced Analysis Program (PAAP) - 3-D refined plastic-hinge element and 3-D plastic-fiber element. Three types of steel frames analyzed by the proposed program are: (1) rigid frames - beam-to-column connections are fully rigid; (2) linear semi-rigid frames - beam-to-column connections have constant stiffness; and (3) nonlinear semi-rigid frames - beam-to-column connections have continuously variable stiffness. Three types of analysis can be performed are: (1) nonlinear inelastic static analysis; (2) nonlinear elastic and inelastic time-history analysis; and (3) free vibration analysis. Three main resources of damping are taken into account in the proposed programs are: (1) hysteretic damping due to inelastic material; (2) structural viscous damping employing Rayleigh damping; (3) hysteretic damping due to nonlinear beam-to-column connections.Two computer programs are developed: (1) Nonlinear Structural Analysis Program (NSAP) - written in the C++ programming language; (2) Practical Advanced Analysis Program (PAAP) - written in the FORTRAN 77 programming language. They are verified for accuracy and computation